an orange balloon floating down the center of the street
the canoe behind the house, perched against an old tree everyone feared would fall. the tree remained standing but its few remaining leaves fell in the wind.
Archive for the ‘Inspiration’ Category
sandy inspired watercolors 2
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged art, colors, creativity, digital photography, Inspiration, nature, outdoors, painting, Photography, watercolor, weather on October 30, 2012| 1 Comment »
sandy inspired watercolors
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged arts, colors, creativity, digital photography, illustration, Inspiration, nature, painting, watercolor, weather on October 29, 2012| 2 Comments »
Meanwhile as I work from home today because of Sandy, it is fascinating and inspiring and a wee bit fear-inducing to watch the rising winds dance with the oak tree that towers above the house. The leaves fall to earth in a beautiful golden brown spiral.
Somehow it seems more right (excuse the bad grammar) to try to capture what I see with other tools besides my camera. I may feel differently over the course of the day as the light changes with the approaching storm, and the action outside my window is such that I want to capture as much as fast as I can with pixels instead of calming watercolors.
We shall see what the evening holds. Meanwhile have a good, safe day, folks. 😉
2013 calendars: leaves, petals and winged beasts
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, Photography, Publication Updates, tagged art, butterflies and moths, calendars, colors, gifts, insects, Inspiration, landscape, nature, nature photography on October 29, 2012| 1 Comment »
Not to rush time, but I am happy to share that I have two 2013 calendars available for purchase: Leaves and Petals and Butterflies and Moths. I’ve ordered them both and am quite pleased with the quality. Even though many people keep detailed schedules on their phones these days, for those who still like to put pen to paper or just glance at a wall calendar with a peaceful image, I hope these items will be of interest for personal use or as a gift. I have one more calendar planned before year’s end and its imagery will focus on food. Stay tuned. 😉
autumn at the farmer’s market
Posted in Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations, Nature Notes, tagged autumn, Boston, colors, Copley Square, farmers market, food, food photography, Inspiration, nature, seasons on October 28, 2012| 6 Comments »
ephemera
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged art, Asian influence, crafts, illustration, Inspiration, nature, nature photography, paper on October 26, 2012| 2 Comments »
I recently sent my young nephew a paper object (a train). I warned his parents that it was coming through the mail, and that I did not expect it to last more than one gleeful scream and then be forever changed as strong young hands enjoyed an ephemeral object. And that was okay. I wanted to give him a gift that could be enjoyed in the moment and not worried about preserving.
These ephemeral works I created as a gift to myself … and probably to my neighbors below. I could not sleep and decided I should stop pacing the night away. And so I sat and found some paper and pens … and some leftover lip gloss and decided to see what might end up on the page.
in the fading light
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged floral photography, flower, Inspiration, light, monotype, nature, petals on October 25, 2012| 3 Comments »
petals pulled
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged colors, droplets, floral photography, flowers, Inspiration, nature, petals, plants, water on October 24, 2012| 1 Comment »
I was watering herbs with a misting bottle while waiting for a paper to print. As droplets settled on neighboring cut flowers, I just wondered what would happen if I pulled a few petals and let them settle on my papers …
.. and on my notebooks …
and other items below?
As usual, beauty found in unexpected places.
and then there’s beautiful food …
Posted in Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations, Nature Notes, tagged black walnuts, breakfast, cooking, food, food photography, Inspiration, nature, recipes on October 24, 2012| 4 Comments »
Now I do not think that everyone would describe black walnuts as a beautiful food. Even for me it is a bit like cilantro. I can have a little, not a lot. But for Steve, black walnuts are one of those pungent, decidedly earthy fruits that should be savored and recognized as a culinary treasure. He and I have trekked through the woods of New England with plastic bags in hand searching out the trees, digging at their roots for the nuts covered in their brown-green husks, knocking squirrels out of the way if necessary.
The husks have come back home, sat in a basket in the hallway to dry out, and then the onerous process begins of extracting the nut from the husk. That process usually involves a hammer or vice grips. Now you see why these nuts are such a treasure. Steve has been experimenting with these nuts quite a bit. As unofficial taste tester, I’ve enjoyed Black Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies, Wild Rice with Black Walnuts (served alongside Duck and Kale), and I think there was even Black Walnuts with Strawberries spooned over vanilla ice cream (or I might be making that one up!). Most recently, he served up Black Walnut French Toast. I’ve told enough folks about this dish that I thought I should share the recipe along with the few photos I managed before all I could think about was eating. Enjoy. 😉
Steve’s Black Walnut French Toast
enough for 2 people for Sunday brunch or perhaps a decadent dessert
leftover bread, sliced thick
3 eggs
black walnuts, chopped, approx. half a cup
cinnamon
nutmeg
cream
In large bowl, mix the eggs, add cinnamon, nutmeg and little bit of cream. Once well mixed, toss in the black walnuts. Warm a frying pan and add some butter. Dip the bread in the egg mixture. Coat well and then drop in the frying pan, browning on both sides.
For those who might like the crunch of nuts, be sure to scoop out nuts from the mixing bowl and press into the toast.
Serve with butter, warm maple syrup and perhaps some bacon on the side.
bright glass beautiful walls
Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged architecture, art, churches, colors, design, digital photography, dublin, glass, illustration, Inspiration, ireland, travel on October 23, 2012| 3 Comments »
Well, while in Dublin, I have to admit that I did take pictures of a few other things besides leaves and letterpress. Even on the rainiest of days, the interiors of the churches were beautiful to view as subdued light shone through stained glass windows and fell upon lovely murals.
fine lines and edges
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, Science, tagged autumn, beauty, colors, Inspiration, landscape, leaf, nature, nature photography, outdoors, patterns, seasons on October 22, 2012| 7 Comments »
I do wonder if people think I’m crazy as I walk through downtown Boston and other city centers picking up leaves and sticking them in any available pocket.
I keep thinking I should plan a specific leaf-picking adventure with a proper bucket or plastic bag as container. But somehow it is more fun to be walking along to work or to shop and to be open to the possibility of finding … something … along the way.
Of course it is easy to behave that way when the sun is shining and autumn leaves glow like jewels falling from the sky.
I’ll be curious what’s to be found on the ground this day. Hope your day goes well wherever you are in the world. 😉
Words + Images 